In the early morning hours of September 2, 2024, the sounds of gunshots shattered the predawn quiet in the 2800 block of 7th Street, Northeast, in Washington, D.C. When police officers arrived at the scene at approximately 1:19 a.m., they discovered a man suffering from gunshot wounds. The man, identified as 46-year-old Townsend Reginald Sowell, a male resident of Northeast, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The investigation into Sowell's death led to the identification of two suspects.
The first arrest occurred on September 11, 2024, when the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended 32-year-old Bryant Nelson of Temple Hills, Maryland. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder while armed. The investigation continued, leading to a second arrest on January 24, 2025. On that day, the same fugitive task force arrested 29-year-old Rogea Murray of Northeast, D.C. He faced the same charge of first-degree murder while armed.
Court proceedings revealed some of the evidence against Nelson. A detective testified that surveillance footage captured an argument between an individual later identified as Nelson and Sowell just minutes before the shooting. After Sowell walked away, the footage showed Nelson meeting with another man, and both moved quickly in the direction where Sowell's body was later found. Although the shooting itself was not on camera, people in the video visibly reacted to the sound of gunfire, and Nelson was then seen running from the area. Further evidence included GPS tracking data from a device Nelson was wearing due to prior charges, which allegedly placed him near the scene of the crime. Additionally, Ring video footage from an unrelated incident was used to help identify Nelson, with a detective recognizing him by a tattoo on his arm.
